Windows File Management Class Description This is an introductory class for those who know how the basics of using a computer, but need help finding and organizing files of all sorts: pictures, documents, spreadsheets, music, videos, and more. Much of the lesson can be transferred to non‐Windows computers, but the focus is on Microsoft Windows. Class Length One to one‐half (1½) hours. Introduction One of the most frustrating things about using a computer can be trying to find a file you know was on your computer. That there are so many different locations for saving files doesn’t make it easy. This class will look at how you can organize your files in a way which works for you and how you can locate hard‐to‐find files. Objectives Learn the meaning of ‘drive’, ‘folder’, and ‘path’ Learn how to use Windows/File Explorer o How to select multiple files o How to move files from one destination to another o How to copy files from one destination to another o How to move files to the Recycle Bin o How to permanently delete files How to search for files Acquire ideas for effective organization of files This is a handout for you to keep. Please feel free to use it for taking notes. 1 * The ‘File Cabinets’ on Your Computer Most people find it easier to understand something new by relating it to something familiar. Perhaps the best familiar thing which can be related to digital files and folders is an office filing system: a file room with rows of file cabinets; each file cabinet with multiple drawers; each drawer with many hanging folders; one or more manila folders in each hanging folder; and papers inside the manila folders. * when using the Windows How does this work for a Windows‐based (Macs, too) computer? Think of the computer operating system, we some- as the file room; various drives as rows of file cabinets; folders on a drive as an individ‐ times talk of ‘subfolders’, but ual file cabinet; a subfolder* as a file cabinet drawer; a sub‐subfolder* as a hanging don’t normally go beyond folder; a sub‐sub‐subfolder* as a manila folder; a computer file as piece(s) of paper. that. Most folders are subfolders of another folder. There are two important differences between an office filing system and a computer file system: (1) computer file systems have no practical limit to the number of organizing levels, whereas one does not normally put a manila folder inside a manila folder which is the lowest organizing level; and (2) in computer file systems, any organizing level can contain both files and a practically unlimited number of subfolders, whereas one normally places every piece of paper inside a manila folder (not in a hanging folder outside a manila folder, or in a file cabinet drawer outside a hanging folder, or between file cabinet drawers, etc.). The Windows operating system includes an application for working with files and folders. In Windows 7 and before, it is called ‘Windows Explorer’. Beginning with Windows 8, it is called ‘File Explorer’. There are some slight differences in Windows/File Explorer in different versions of Windows, but they all have the same basic purpose: to create, move, delete, and rename both files and folders — to manage files and folders. The Windows operating system has Windows‐based computers use drives to organize files and assigns a letter to some special folders: some are for each (A‐Z, thus a limit of 26 drives). Typically, the letters ‘A’ and ‘B’ are content (Documents, Music, Pictures, reserved for floppy drives (rarely used today) and ‘C’ is reserved for the Videos, Downloads, etc.); others are Windows operating system. Other letters are used for additional hard drives, system folders (Desktop, Recycle Bin). network locations, removable storage (e.g. optical drives, ‘thumb’ drives, Tip: the more content (size, not num- external ber of files) stored on the Desktop drives), etc. (including background images), the slower the computer will run. There is no one way to organize files and folders. Windows 7: Windows Explorer You need to find a system which works for you. Windows 10: File Explorer 2 * Every drive in Windows can contain one or more files and/or one or more folders. Every folder can contain one or more files and/or one or more (sub)folders. For file and folder names, Windows ignores letter case (most other operating systems are case sensitive, i.e. SAMPLE.TXT, Sample.TXT, and sample.TXT are different and can coexist in the same folder). All the names in a folder, files and sub‐folders, must be unique. Naming Rules & Restrictions Don’t obsess over these rules. This section is for those wondering why Restrictions: Windows has several an error message appeared or a name was changed from what was typed and reserved characters which cannot be for those who want some nitty‐gritty details. used in the names of file or folders: < > (less than and greater than) The earliest versions of Windows used 8.3 (‘eight dot three’) filenames: up to : (colon) eight characters, followed by a dot/period, then ending in a ‘file extension’ of " (double quote) / \ (forward slash and backslash) three or less characters, identifying the type of file (applications normally add | (vertical bar or pipe) this automatically when saving files). Some (older) applications still use this ? ( question mark) format. * (asterisk) Neither a period nor a blank space File extensions may now exceed three characters. They are used by the may be used at the end of a file Windows operating system and by Windows/File Explorer to identify the type of name or folder name. A blank space file and the application associated with it and displays this by using an icon from cannot be used at the beginning of a the file’s application and (‘Details’ view only) to supply the information in the file name or folder name. File names may begin with a period, but folder ‘Type’ column (e.g. ‘Microsoft Excel Worksheet’). The entire file name, including names may not. the dot/period and the file extension is limited to 255 characters. There are also reserved names: con prn aux nul com, followed by one digit, 1-9 lpt, followed by one digit, 1-9 Using Windows/File Explorer Windows/File Explorer can be launched by clicking on the folder in the Taskbar (circled at right). It can also be launched by clicking the Start button and start typing windows explorer (Windows 7 and earlier) or file explorer (Windows 8 and later) until the name appears in the menu and then clicking on the name with the mouse or, after ensuring the name is highlighted, pressing the J key; or by using the keyboard shortcut i+e (hold the Windows key down, press e, then release both keys). 3 * Windows Explorer (Windows 7) ① Navigation pane ⑦ Search box ② Back & forward buttons ⑧ Details pane ③ Toolbar ⑨ Preview pane ④ Address bar ⑩ Display options ⑤ File list ⑪ Preview pane toggle ⑥ Column headings Windows/File Explorer Layouts File Explorer (Windows 8 and later) ① Navigation pane ⑥ Column headings ② Back, forward, & up buttons ⑦ Search box ③ Ribbon ⑧ Status bar ④ Address bar ⑨ Preview OR ⑤ File list Details pane 4 * Views The previous page showed the ‘Details’ view for both. It shows only information about the files and folders. The ‘Extra large icons’ (not shown), ‘Large icons’ (left, top), and ‘Medium icons’ (right, top) are similar; ‘Small icons’ (left, middle) loses the thumbnail icon, but a large thumbnail can be displayed in the ‘Details pane’. The ‘Tiles’ view (right, middle) has both thumbnail icons and some information about the file. The ‘List’ view (left, bottom) is good for seeing a lot of items. The ‘Content’ view (right, bottom) contains a bit more information than the ‘Tiles’ view, but displays fewer items. 5 * Navigation pane – used to access hard drives, ‘libraries’ (Windows 7 only), folders, devices & drives attached to your PC, saved searches. The Favorites (Windows 7, shortcuts can be renamed) or Quick access (Windows 10, shortcuts can not be renamed)) section works like a web browser’s bookmarks and will jump to a saved folder. Any item displayed in the Navigation pane can be a target for moving/copying files to a specific location. To add an item to Favorites/Quick access, go to the location, then right click on Favorites/ Quick access to open a context menu: Then left click on ‘Add current location to Favorites’ (Windows 7) or ‘Pin current folder to Quick access’ (Windows 10). Back, forward, (up) buttons – used much like a web browser to go back to previous location, to move forward after having gone back to previous location and (not in Windows 7) to go to the folder containing the current folder. Toolbar / Ribbon – used to access frequently needed functions. The two principal ribbons in File Explorer are HOME (top) and VIEW (lower): In Windows, the path is the Address bar – shows current location; can be used for navigation: type the path into the field drive letter, a colon, a back- slash, the name of the folder File list – the list of files in the current folder; using the Display options (Windows 7) or with a backslash at the end VIEW ribbon (Windows 8 and later), the view can be changed (see previous page) (repeated as necessary for additional folders). Column headings (Detail view only) – can be used to quickly sort items by any of the C:\Users\John\Documents\ column headers; one click will sort in one direction (e.g. 0‐9, A‐Z; oldest to newest; might be the path for John’s smallest to largest) and a second click will sort in reverse order (e.g.